Bitter Melon with onion and tomato

1 lb bitter melons

2 tsp salt

4 tbsp oil

1 cup chopped red onion

1 large tomato, chopped

1 tsp Punjabi garam masala

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/4 cup cilantro

Trim both ends of the melon. Scrape all the scales off and peel the melons. Slice in half lengthwise, scoop out all the spongy seeds in the center. Add salt and let it sit 2-3 hours or overnight in the fridge. Rinse, squeeze out water, dry with paper towels.

Heat oil on medium high, stir fry melon until light brown and slightly crispy, 8-12 minutes. Remove.

Heat oil on medium low, cook onion until caramel brown, 15-20 minutes. Add tomato, garam masala, cayenne, sugar, and turmeric. Cook 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water and the bitter melon, boil and simmer 5-10 minutes. Serve with cilantro.

Source: 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer